A police constable, responding to a report of a violent assault, was chopped early yesterday morning by a mentally-ill man, who he then shot.
As a result, both Constable Dwayne Mingo, who is stationed at the Providence Police Station, and his assailant, Christopher George, 33, are now admitted at the Georgetown Public Hospital (GPH).
Mingo, who sustained two chop wounds, once to his left hand and one to his left knee, and George, who was shot to his right arm and right collar bone, were both stable up to last evening.
The encounter occurred around 1.30 am at Herstelling, East Bank Demerara, where George had been reportedly been beating his mother, Dauphnie George.
Dauphnie George, who described her son as mentally ill, said she was attacked while she was sleeping at their Lot 152 Herstelling house.
The woman recounted being awakened by “chucks and kicks” about her body. “I deh in the room, lay down sleeping strong, then this boy [Christopher] start pushing me, kicking me all in meh sleep and wake me out of my sleep,” she said.
“I deh in the blanket and I turn mehself and lay down on meh belly and he kicking meh, cuffing meh, all kinda thing…. I seh ‘Boy, wah really happen to yuh? Why you behaving like this?’ And me ain’t tell he nothing more and he run out the house,” the woman added.
At this point, she said Christopher armed himself with a piece of wood and attempted to re-enter the house but she managed to lock the door. “I brace the door from inside but he pushing the door fuh come in and I run and go in front with the sheet around meh. I seh me ain’t going back into that house deh and he run in the backyard,” she recalled.
Dauphnie’s niece, who lives in the upper flat of the house, took her to the police station to make a report.
“He keep saying he gon’ finish meh,” Dauphnie said, while noting that she was fearful for her life.
Following the report, the police turned up at the house to arrest Christopher and he launched an attack on Constable Mingo. “The police come peacefully and rap on the door because he [Christopher] did lock up in the house and they tell he to open. He eventually open and start look all around and when they ask he what he looking for he, he seh slippers and by time we coulda catch we self, he pick up the cutlass again and run the police them to the front of the house,” Dauphnie’s niece, who wished not to be named, related.
The woman said at that time, she too became afraid and rushed back into her house. “He run the police and start fire chops and in defence, the policeman had to shoot he,” the niece said.
According to a police press release, Constable Mingo responded to a report of Christopher beating his mother. “The son, when confronted, armed himself with a cutlass and menacingly attacked and dealt the rank two chops,” the police said, before adding that the injured constable instinctively drew his service revolver and discharged two rounds.
Dauphnie noted that her son would often beat her although she works to maintain him.
He previously attempted to burn their house, she added.
